Q. I know it's only Thursday, a long way to go, but this has to be a bit of a dream come true for you, right?
BO HOAG: Yeah, this is a tournament that I grew up watching as a kid coming out here, trying to get an autograph, trying to pick the range, I volunteered as range guy for a little bit and obviously some family ties and my connection with Jack Nicklaus, so, yeah, it is my favorite tournament, for sure.
Q. You played here last year, very different conditions, because it was July and hard and fast. How different is it, is this what you're familiar with here?
BO HOAG: Maybe a little bit. We know how the Columbus weather can be this time of year, so not many firm days in the spring. But the course is playing long, I'll say that. But obviously the approach shots a little more receptive, so you can be aggressive if you're in the fairway, but obviously the rough is no joke, so you got to keep your ball on the short grass.
Q. With the changes to the course, obviously you probably have more local knowledge than anybody out here, but how much does that even matter because of the course changes?
BO HOAG: I don't feel like there's wholesale changes. For me, I'm not changing my strategy that much with the new changes to the course. But I really like it. It looks really good, it's just, it wasn't bad before, as we all know, you about it's a little cleaner is what I like to say.
Q. How would you manage or how do you manage the balance of comfort and pressure playing in this event?
BO HOAG: Yeah, I'm trying to figure that out. Trying to get out a game plan last night -- it's different when you're playing in your hometown, anybody will tell you that. But I think if you approach it the right way, it can certainly be an advantage. So I feel like kind of have that home-field edge. I just have my friends and my family out here, wanting me to do well, so I think I home I'm figuring out how to use it as an advantage playing in my hometown.
Q. Is that the approach you have?
BO HOAG: Yeah. I just think that you look at a year ago we didn't have any fans out here, it was my first year on the PGA TOUR and it's your hometown event and that's what you play for is to get your card and go play in your hometown event and I didn't have any fans out here. It was still great, but to be able to share that a little more and have that energy is way better this year.
Q. How cool was it, I mean, the last year I'm sure it was a mixed bag because of that, how cool was it, how many people did you have here and what was that like?
BO HOAG: This year or last year?
Q. This year.
BO HOAG: Oh, I don't know. It was a little early, 7:44, I think we were the third group off, so had to get people out of bed if they wanted to come watch me on the front. But, yeah, I know it's just nice to see a bunch of buddies and aunts and uncles and all that good stuff.
Q. Parents? Who was here?
BO HOAG: Yeah, my parents and I got a bunch of family. They're all coming out. So maybe a couple Buckeye fans too that they come out and watch a little bit. I got a lot of O-H's out there, we're keeping a tab on the O-H's and there are about 12 or 15 so far. I'll have to ask my caddie.
Q. Coming into this tournament you made the cut last week, but you struggled before that. What was going on with your game and how do you feel about the way it is right now?
BO HOAG: I feel like I was -- I've been playing well I've just kind of a shot here or there just kind of gotten in my own way and just needed a good stretch of holes somewhere. And first round of the Byron Nelson, I got off to a hot start and I feel like I just needed that good stretch of holes. Which I did, the front nine I shot 6-under and I just needed that. So once I did that I feel good now.
Q. What was working today?
BO HOAG: Did everything pretty nicely. Put the ball in the fairway, hit some good approach shots and I rolled the ball well. Didn't make too many mistakes and made it pretty stress free.
Q. I know you wanted to make one on 18, just pushed it a little bit?
BO HOAG: It's a tough hole. That's one of the hardest finishing holes in golf. Hit a good tee shot and I thought I hit a pretty good second shot, came up about a yard short. Then a little slider there, it's a tough putt, I hit a pretty good putt, it just missed, so overall still pleased with how I started.
Q. Again, going back to the first question, how do you feel, I mean, after this round, you again, only one round but it's got to be a great feeling.
BO HOAG: Yeah, I mean 4-under, 68 is a good round to start at the Memorial, no doubt about it. Very pleased with how I played and, yeah, looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow afternoon, I think we got some good weather this weekend too.
(Sound of thunder in the background.)
Q. When you hear that, how glad are you to get in?
BO HOAG: Yeah, it's nice -- hearing some claps of thunder, so it's nice to be done.
Q. How nice was it to have fans, hearing those O-H's as you walked off?
BO HOAG: It was great. It was awesome. I was talking earlier, it was awesome playing it last year, my rookie year on the PGA TOUR to play in the Memorial. There's just, there was a piece missing without my fans, friends and family out there and we got that back now and it's just, it's a new course this year, it's just, I think everybody's ready for the 2021 Memorial this year.
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